1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to heating devices for footwear and more particularly pertains to a new footwear, such as a shoe or boot, with heated sole for helping keep a wearer's foot warm, especially in cold weather.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of heating devices for footwear is known in the prior art. More specifically, heating devices for footwear heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art heating devices for footwear include U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,881; U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,222; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 332,519; U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,170; U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,688; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,095.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new footwear with heated sole. The inventive device includes a footwear member having a sole and an upper portion for accepting a foot. The heel of the sole has a cavity therein with the lower surface of the heel having an opening into the cavity. A heel door is pivotally coupled to the lower surface of the heel for substantially closing the opening into the cavity. An elongate heating coil is provided within the interior of the sole for providing heat to the footwear when powered. Disposed within the cavity of the heel is a power source electrically coupled to the heating coil to provide power to the heating coil.
In these respects, the footwear with heated sole according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of helping keep a wearer's foot warm, especially in cold weather.